Anti-nuclear campaigners have condemned the announcement that the cost of the Trident submarines has risen by £580 million over the government’s stated £31 billion budget.
Kate Hudson, CND General Secretary, said:
“This £580 million overrun on the cost of the Trident submarines is alarming, particularly at this early stage of the build. We should remember there are four submarines to deliver by 2032, and the government has indicated that work has begun on only the first of these. The £10 billion contingency fund will run out very quickly.
“We welcome the report by the National Audit Office, but it’s clear now that the government needs to provide detailed answers to the question it raises. If the cost of the submarines is set to smash the £31 billion budget, what about the estimated £142 billion for in-service costs and the £4 billion on replacement warheads? The costs of all components of the Trident replacement scheme need to be accounted for by the government. The existing approach of writing a blank cheque for Trident while budgets are slashed for schools and hospitals is completely unacceptable.”